Gripper.



W. A. BOND.

GRIPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18,1909.

1,032,269, Patented July 9, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLaNon mum C0,, WASHINGTON, n. c.

l JTT WILLIALI ARTHUR BOND, 0F LYNNFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GRIPPEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM A. Bonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynnfield, in the county of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Grippers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for working uppers over lasts and particularly to the grippers mechanism of such machines. 7 The invention is shown as embodied in grippers adapted for use in machines of the type shown in United States Letters Patent No. 584,744, dated 'June 15, 1897, and has for its object to improve the construction of the grippers therein shown.

One feature of the invention consists in a novel construction of grippers by which a firmer gripping action is obtained and greater durability secured than in grippers as heretofore constructed. To this end, as

herein shown, a fixed gripper jaw is ar-. ranged 1n 1ts carrier with an extended upper end face in engagement with a lower end face of the carrier, whereby rocking of said gripper jaw about its connection with the carrier is avoided when pressure is applied to its gripping face for holding and pulling stock. For further increasing the rigidity of" the connection between the gripper aw and its carrier the jaw is preferably pinned or otherwise secured to the carrier at a plurality of points so that the jaw cannot pivot or turn in the carrier. In

order to obtain a firmer gripping of the stock by the two gripping jaws and prevent any tendency of the movable gripper jaw to turn laterally said movable jaw is connected to the fixed jaw by parallel links arranged at opposite sides of the jaws.

In the'type-of machine in which the present invention is herein shown as embodied the grippers are first closed and then autothe grippers to engage firmly stock varying avoids straining the gripper jaws by applyin the following description in connection in thickness because, if the stock is thick, this element yields to allow the actuating mechanism to make its full stroke without breaking the grippers or crushing the stock,

The machine includes other lasting instrumentalities beside the grippers and is also equipped with tack driving mechanism. These parts are operated in time relation with the grippers and it is frequently desirable to run the machine to cause said other lasting devices or the tacking mechanism to perform their functions when no stock is so presented as to .be engaged by the grippers.

In accordance with another feature of this invention provision is made for I reventing the gripping faces from being orced into wearing engagement with each other when no stock is interposed between them. This ing stress to them when they are not in use and alsg p gevents their gripping faces, which are usually toothed or corrugated, from becoming Worn by contact with each other. By the use of this feature of the invention the gripping faces of the jaws receive little wear and retain their correct shape for a longer time than heretofore.

In the embodiment of the invention shown the shank of the movable gripper jaw and the shank of the rigid gripper jaw are provided with cooperating, and preferably relatively adjustable, stops which limit the approach of the movable gripper jaw and arrest said jaw before it comes into such engagement with the rigid jaw as would wear the gripping faces.

The features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts, will be more fully explained with the drawings and will then be pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing the gripper jaws closed. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the limiting stops when the jaws are open.

The grippers comprise the jaws 2 and 3 carried by their shanks 4 and 5 the latter being a rod extending through the former and upwardly beyond the ball head of the shank 4; by which the grippers as a whole are suspended from a lever 6. The shank 4: is slotted from front to back at its lower end and provided at the upper end of the slot .110

with an extended face 10. The jaw has a body portion shaped to fit snugly in the slot between the walls of the shank and has an extended upper end face 12 adapted to have a broad bearing against the face 10. This.

extended engagement between the upper end face of jaw 2 and the face 10 of its shank is designed to minimize the tendency of the jaw to turn with relation to its shank when pressure is exerted against its gripping face for holding and pulling the stock. For further insuring against the tendency of the gripper jaw to turn inits shank said parts are rigidly connected at a plurality of points by rivets orclamping belts 14. This construction forms a very rigid connection between the gripper jaw and its shank and one which is not liable to become loose under the rapidly recurring strains to which the cal axis.

The grippers are normally held open by a spring 20 which, resting upon a collar 22 secured to the shank 4, presses upwardly against a pin 23 extending outwardly from the shank. 5.

The grippers are closed by depressing the shank 5 against the action of the spring 20 and this movement is effected by a lever 24. The closing lever is provided at its front end with a springpressed plunger 25 which rests upon a cap 26 on the upper end of the shank 5 of the grippers and through which force is transmitted from the lever for closing the grippers. The provision of this yielding elefment in the closing mechanism allows the grippers toengage and hold with approximately the same force stock varying in thickness. In practice it is desirable that the movementof the closing lever be sufficient to cause the spring surrounding the plunger 25 to be compressed during each closing movement. The gripper shank5 is provided with an adjustable stop 30 for engaging a stop face .32 on the upper end of V the shank 4 of the rigid gripper and thereby l1m1t1ng the downward movement of the shank 5. By this arrangement the movable gripper jaw may be prevented from closing into wearing contact with the rigid gripper jaw so that wear oftheir gripping faces,

which are usually toothed or corrugated,

may be prevented. This is desirable as above suggested because the machine is L sometimes run without interposing stock between the gripper jaws and if said jaws were allowed to close against each other they would become worn and mutilated. The engagement of the gripper jaws when no stock is interposed also causes some noise which it is desirable to avoid. The stop 30 can be adjusted on the shank 5 to arrest the closing movement of jaw 3 before it makes actual contact with the jaw 2 if thick stock is being operated upon. If thin stock is being lasted the stop 30 will be set to permit the jaws to close together for firmly crimping the stock into the teeth of their gripping faces but to prevent the jaws being jammed together and battering one another 'when closed without any stock between them. The cap 26 is made as a cup nut inclosing the top of the shank 5 and screwing down upon the stop 30 to lock the latter in its adjusted position. The provision of the stop for limiting the approach of the jaws reduces the strain on the rigid jaw 2, because it prevents the impact of the moving jaw against its companion when there is no cushioning stock between them. The stop thus assists in preventing the jaw 2 from working loose.

Having explained the nature of this invention and fully described a construction embodying the same in the best form now known to me, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with gripper jaws and relatively movable operating bars to which the jaws are connected, of mechanism for actuating one of said bars to close the jaws, and cooperating stops on said bars for arresting the closing movement of the jaws immediately before their gripping surfaces come in contact. r

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with gripper jaws and relatively movable operating bars to which the jaws are connected, of mechanism for actuating one of said bars to close the jaws, a stop on the closing bar arranged for contact with the other bar to limit the extent ofclosing movement of the jaws, and a cup nut threaded on said closing bar and ar ranged to clamp the stop in adjusted posi- 1 5 tion on said bar.

3.]In a machine of the class described, the combination with gripper'jaws and relatively movable operating bars to which the grippers are connected, Qofyielding mechanism for actuating one of said bars to close the grippler jaws, and cooperating, relal tively adjustable stops on said bars forllmiting the movement in the direction to close the jaws. V

.4. In a gripper. mechanism, a carrier, a swinging jaw, parallel swinging links arranged uponopposite sides of said jaw and pivotally connected to it and to said carrier, actuating means for said jaw operating through it and said links to apply to the stock both downward and outward pressure, a cooperating jaw having a laterally extended end face abutting against a cooperating face on the carrier, and securing devices by one of which said links are pivoted to the carrier and which are arranged in a triangle to prevent movement of the jaw relatively to the carrier in response both to the outward and the downward pressure of the swinging jaw.

'5. In a gripper mechanism, a recessed gripper carrier a swinging jaw, parallel swinging links arranged upon opposite sides of said jaw and pivotally connected to it and to said carrier, actuating means for said jaw operating through it and said links to apply to the stock both downward and outward pressure, a cooperating gripping jaw mounted in the recess in the carrier and provided with an end face 10 having a laterally extended bearing against a cooperating-face 12 on the carrier, and three non-alined securing devices 14, one of which forms the pivotal connection of the links to the carrier and which together fasten the jaw to the carrier with said faces 10 and 12 in mutually abutting relation, all combined and arranged to hold the jaw rigidly upon the carrier against both the outward and the downward pressure of the swinging jaw.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM ARTHUR BOND.

Witnesses:

CHESTER EUGENE ROGERS, DANIEL J OSEPI-I MANNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

